71st New York Infantry Regiment

The 71st New York Infantry Regiment was a US Army infantry regiment which was first raised in 1850. It was raised in New York City by Hamilton Fish and the Know Nothings as a "distinctively American regiment" in opposition to the Irish 69th New York Infantry Regiment, and it served as riot control during the Dead Rabbits riots of 1857; it was nicknamed "the American Guard". During the American Civil War, it took part in the occupation of Alexandria, Virginia before fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Chancellorsville, and protecting Harrisburg during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was used to control strikes from the 1870s to 1890s, and it was deployed to Cuba during the Spanish-American War, fighting at the Battle of San Juan Hill. During World War I, it was deployed to the Mexico border before being sent to Belgium and France. It went on to fight in the Aleutians during World War II.